BURNT COURGETTE & YOGHURT DIP, SLOW COOKED RUNNER BEANS

I’ve seen quite a lot of recipes for burnt courgette ‘babaganoush’. This is inspired by that idea, but here I just charred the outside for flavour but the inside isn’t totally soft, so you can either blitz it up in a food processor or cut very finely by hand. So simple, with the garlic, lemon olive oil, but so satisfying! And really fresh and different. Works a treat with the yoghurt topping and lovely with fresh bread or as part of a mezze spread. 

The beans, I’ve done a very similar recipe with bobby beans, I love this dish, it’s something my Greek Cypriot mum always made growing up and was always a firm favourite in the family. 

Burnt Courgette

serve s 4-6 as apart of a mezze 

550g courgette 

50g olive oil 

½ lemon juice 

1 clove garlic, grated 

Good pinch salt 

Herb yoghurt 

200g coconut yoghurt, I used coconut collaborative

1 clove garlic, grated 

1 lemon juice 

20g olive oil 

15g dill, chopped

Salt 

Burn the courgette over an open flame or bbq. 

Once cool, transfer to a food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds, it should be very finely chopped. Mix in the other ingredients, and taste for seasoning. To make the yoghurt, simply mix the ingredients together. The fresh herb here is changeable, I love dill, but also used chives, parsley, and mint would be great. 

Slow Cooked Runner Beans

Serves 4-6 as part of a mezze

4 clove garlic 

50g olive oil, more to finish

good quality salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1kg fresh tomato, chopped 

500g runner beans

1 cinnamon stick 

Dill to finish 

Mince the garlic, and slice the runner beans diagonally  1 cm width. Finely chop the tomatoes or give a quick whizz in a food process. 

Heat a large pan, on low heat, add the garlic and a good pinch of salt, and cook for a few minutes until golden but not brown, add the tomato paste, cook for 30 seconds, and add the tomato, runner beans, and cinnamon. Keep on low heat and cook for up to an hour. The runner beans are really lovely and tender at this point and the tomatoes are totally cooked down and gorgeous. I know it’s a long time, but it’s really minimal work. 

To finish, taste for seasoning, drizzle with a l little more olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh dill. 

Serve as part of a mezze or a light lunch with some fresh bread or crackers to mop.

Pictured - chickpea crackers, old fave recipe from My New Roots.